


Aesthetic Acceptability

by deplore



Series: Holiday Season 2014 [2]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Alternate Universe - Robots & Androids, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-17
Updated: 2014-12-17
Packaged: 2018-03-01 21:03:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2787698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deplore/pseuds/deplore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“The easiest way to make a human-passing android is, quite simply, to base its appearance off an actual human,” Akashi explains as they walk. “If we choose you, then you’ll be one of the human models for an upcoming line of personal companion androids.”</p><p>“Right,” Kise replies, because he doesn’t want to admit he’s more interested in how much money they’re giving him rather than the point of the project.</p><p>“We’re looking for a person with ideal proportions and traits we’ve indexed as being conventionally desirable, in particular for potential female owners in the age range of young teens through the late twenties for one such potential line, Project KJ07. That’s what we’ve brought you in for,” Akashi continues. Just as Kise is about to start tuning him out, though, Akashi says, “If you’re chosen, then you’ll receive an up-front lump sum and a smaller yearly stipend that depends on how well the line sells.”</p><p>“Gotcha," Kise says, attention successfully engaged.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aesthetic Acceptability

**Author's Note:**

> **[Sorites paradoxes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncanny_valley)** : Stimuli with human and nonhuman traits undermine our sense of human identity by linking qualitatively different categories, human and nonhuman, by a quantitative metric, degree of human likeness.

Kise signs up for the human model project because there aren’t very many jobs left that pay simply for being born conventionally attractive and he believes in taking advantage of all the assets he has. He’d been a child actor/model until he was ten, but then projection and animation technology had developed to the point where they cost less than the exorbitant fees necessary for contracting children on-set, and then that was that – he’d been permanently replaced by artificially made images. So instead, he’d put his energy into studying just enough to get a translator’s license after graduating high school, and enjoyed a reasonable job freelancing until technology again struck and once again rendered him without a sustainable occupation.

So when he sees an advertisement calling for a project calling for human models to be used in a new line of androids three months into unsuccessfully looking for a job that pays more than just barely above minimum wage, Kise doesn’t even bother reading the fine print before e-mailing in his personal details, consent form, and three full-body pictures from different angles before rushing off to work. Two weeks later, when he gets a reply from Rakuzan Corporation inviting him for an in-person evaluation, Kise’s nearly forgotten he applied at all.

He expects a service android to greet him, but when he scans his wrist ID into the building systems to check in at the front desk, he can tell right away the person who comes to meet him is just that – a person. Male adult android models are rarely built shorter than 180cm, nor does their artificial hair tend to stick, and there’s just a little too much length to his face for the current android aesthetic in vogue. “Kise Ryouta, thank you for coming today,” he says, and Kise detects just a bit of tiredness around his eyes when he offers a polite smile. “My name is Akashi Seijuurou. I’m the lead on the project that you’re here for.”

“Nice to meet you,” Kise replies.

There’s a pause as Akashi fixes him with a full-body up-down. The sensation of being examined for desirability is something Kise is so familiar with that it barely phases him anymore, but Akashi’s glance is far cooler than anything he’s experienced recently – something about it leaves a strange aftertaste. “Your photos weren’t doctored, then,” Akashi finally says. “Good. Let’s proceed straight to the physical evaluation, then, and I’ll tell you a little about the project.”

Akashi leads him down a gleaming white hallway, lined with mirrored windows and doors whose outlines are barely visible. “The easiest way to make a human-passing android is, quite simply, to base its appearance off an actual human,” Akashi explains as they walk. “If we choose you, then you’ll be one of the human models for an upcoming line of personal companion androids.”

“Right,” Kise replies, because he doesn’t want to admit he’s more interested in how much money they’re giving him rather than the point of the project.

“We’re looking for a person with ideal proportions and traits we’ve indexed as being conventionally desirable, in particular for potential female owners in the age range of young teens through the late twenties for one such potential line, Project KJ07. That’s what we’ve brought you in for,” Akashi continues. Just as Kise is about to start tuning him out, though, Akashi says, “If you’re chosen, then you’ll receive an up-front lump sum and a smaller yearly stipend that depends on how well the line sells.”

“Gotcha. So how are we being picked?” Kise asks.

Akashi stops in the middle of the hallway and brings his wrist ID up; a door opens in front of them. “It’s an automated process. We have an android scan you and compare the observations to our index. The first person to adequately meet our standards will be picked, since time is of the essence when it comes to development of commercial robotics.” Akashi smiles politely and gestures to the inside of the room. “After you undress, we’ll send the android in.”

 

 

 

The android that does the examination is clearly modeled off of Akashi’s appearance, but Kise can’t help but feel that it lies somewhere in the uncanny valley. Something about its expression seems ostensibly off, but Kise can’t quite place why, when the only thing that he can see clearly differentiates Akashi from his android double is that the android’s left optic is yellow. It could, he supposes, have something to do with the fact that android Akashi is giving him a really intense stare-down while he is naked. “This could potentially be more comfortable if the examining android didn’t look exactly like the guy who just gave me the rundown,” Kise mutters to himself.

The android tilts its head. “Akashi Seijuurou’s interest in your naked human body is purely scientific, so it shouldn’t discomfort you,” it says, before running a scan over Kise. “Likewise, I can assure you I experience no positive reinforcement from examining you.”

Kise is not sure whether this is meant to make him feel better or make him feel utterly ridiculous. “Okay, but the fact that he designed you to look exactly like himself kinda speaks bounds, doesn’t it? That in and of itself is enough to feel weird,” he asks, a bit snappishly.

“You assume that he is my designer,” the android replies, then circles around Kise to perform another scan from a different angle.

“Is he?” Kise asks.

“That’s classified information,” it answers before taking another scan.

Kise gets the distinct feeling an android is antagonizing him for kicks and giggles and reflects on the extent to which the advent of the technological age has shat all over him. He scowls and mutters, “Just wondering, that’s all. You guys aren’t gonna sell much if KJ07’s face is as weird as yours is.”

The android is still for a few moments before it blinks. The yellow hue of its left optic turns red. “I am a fourth generation model, RZ04. It is only natural that I’d deviate from the desired outcome in certain ways. Our capabilities are constantly evolving. The goal is to make the seventh generation model KJ07 a perfect copy,” it says, continuing to fix Kise with a stare that’s just a little too close to human to be comfortable. Finally, RZ04 turns away. “My scan is complete, Kise Ryouta. Please dress and I will lead you to where Akashi Seijuurou is analyzing the data.”

Kise puts his clothes on and tries very hard not to think about how he feels about mass-producing a companion android that’s meant to be perfect copy of him.

 

 

 

 

“Your index of physical flaws is as follows: slight asymmetry in horizontal ear shape. Imbalance between lean and bulk muscle development, especially in the legs. Genitalia roughly 0.75cm underneath the average length for your height. Ratio of wrist circumference to the span of the hands is less than one. Wingspan is shorter than height. Ratio of foot length to vertical face height is greater than one. Your proportions have a standard deviation of about 0.02 from the golden ratio.” Akashi looks up from the laundry list and gives Kise another appraising look before sighing, swiping away the holographic projection coming from the embedded microcomputer in his wrist. “But you’ll do.”

Kise isn’t sure if he should feel encouraged or far from it. “Just to be clear. This means I’m getting a paycheck, right?”

Akashi doesn’t smile, he smirks – the look, Kise has to admit, is a pretty good one on him. “So it does, Kise. Welcome to Project KJ07.”

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: cyberpunk. Writing a cyberpunk AU was really interesting/fun, so I might write more of it in the future _( :3 /


End file.
